“An Enlightened Future for All, but When?”

America was born at the height of the Enlightenment, yet outside of educated circles we seldom hear of this great humanistic movement today. The central idea of the Enlightenment was progress, especially toward a better world for people everywhere. Dr. Jordan will discuss how well we have progressed and where we have stumbled, concluding that societal progress will continue, but only if universal education in critical thinking and civic mindedness are significantly improved.

Stuart Jordan is a retired NASA Senior Staff Scientist and holds a Ph.D. in physics and astrophysics. He has held leadership positions in three humanist organizations, most recently as president of the Institute for Science and Human Values (ISHV). He is author of the recently published book The Enlightenment Vision–Science, Reason, and the Promise of a Better Future (Prometheus Books) and is also a Rhodes Scholar. Read more at http://ishv.net.

Baltimore Ethical Society

The Baltimore Ethical Society is a humanistic religious fellowship. We focus on human lives and relationships and explore what it means to live ethically as individuals, family members, and participants in the larger community. We have no creeds and no doctrines, but we are united by our belief in the worth and dignity of each individual and our commitment to working together to create a more just, humane, and peaceful world.